Oneida County dairy farmer speaking at Washington farm rally

Washington, D.C. -- Gretchen Maine, a dairy farmer in Oneida County, is one of seven people who will participate in a dairy milk price rally today in Washington D.C.

America’s dairy farmers went through one of the worst years in history when prices dipped as low as $11.50 per hundred pounds (11.6 gallons). Many farmers have gone out of business or have had to borrow thousands of dollars to keep going. Many more are on the brink of bankruptcy.

These losses hurt not just dairy farmers and their families but the thousands of farm-related jobs, including feed mills, fuel suppliers, and veterinarians along with the tax base of our communities.

The National Family Farm Coalition is conducting the press teleconference today to discuss the difficulties farmers are having to access credit to keep their dairy operations alive. Speakers will present dairy farmer experiences from across the country.

The coalition also is urging Congress for emergency relief and to advocate for a permanent solution to the dairy crisis by fixing the pricing system. The coalition also today is sending a letter to Tom Vilsack, secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, urging that action be taken.

Senate Bill 1645, introduced in 2009 by Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., would allow farmers’ cost of production to be factored into the prices they receive.